The present invention relates to a plug or socket connector, in particular for ribbon cables, comprised of a plurality of insulated conductor end sections inserted and positioned in a first connector element, and a second connector element containing inward pointing blade terminals that are conductively connected to contact elements, such as plug pins or sockets, via which the connector can be coupled to another connector.
A connector of this type is disclosed in European Patent Publication EP 0 251 755 A2, for example. In addition to the two connector elements, this known connector has an intermediate element which is used to fix the conductor end sections in place in the first connector element.
The first connector element is provided with recesses which are offset relative to each other in rows a . . . d, and are intended for receiving the blades of the blade terminals of the second connector element in the sense that they provide the required reception space into which the blade terminals can enter when they execute their function when the connector elements are put together, namely that of insulating their associated conductor end sections. No function of the recesses beyond this is disclosed in the above-mentioned publication.
Other known connectors of the same type also have arm-like blade terminals. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,139 discusses the guidance function of the walls of the recesses and German Patent DE 23 55 774 C2 discusses the use of the walls to support the blade terminals.
The disadvantage of these and the multitude of further solutions which have been proposed regarding the construction of connectors of the type mentioned lies in that, because of their necessarily small size, the blade terminals can possibly lose their clamping force, in particular in case where the small material cross sections in the area of the two legs of the blade terminals are stressed over extended periods of time, in particular by temperature changes or mechanical stresses, such as vibrations. Such is the case, for example, when using such connectors in motor vehicles. Such fatigue phenomena, in particular in the areas of large temperature fluctuations and mechanical stresses, can in the worst case lead to a deterioration of the contacting with the result of a reduction of the contact cross sections and the problems arising from this. There can even result a complete disruption of the contact which, in particular in the field of motor vehicles, then can lead to considerable malfunctions of the electrical or electronic components of the motor vehicle.